inflammable
/ɪnˈflæməbəl/ adjective, noun
Forms inflammables enflammable
- adjective Capable of burning.
- adjective Easily set on fire.
- adjective (figuratively) Easily excited; set off by the slightest excuse; easily enraged or inflamed.
- adjective (nonstandard) Incapable of burning; not easily set on fire. From in- + flammable, via backformation.
- noun Any inflammable substance.
Synonyms
flammable combustible hot-headed quick to anger nonflammable noninflammable unflammable uninflammable fireproof incombustible
Antonyms
nonflammable noninflammable unflammable uninflammable fireproof incombustible level-headed unflappable flammable combustible
Etymology
From Middle French inflammable, from Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, from Latin īnflammāre (“to set on fire”), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”). By surface analysis, inflame + -able, literally “able to be inflamed”.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Capable of being easily set fire; easily enkindled; combustible; as, inflammable oils or spirits.
- adjective Excitable; irritable; irascible; easily provoked; as, an inflammable temper. Inflammable air, the old chemical name for hydrogen.
Etymology [CF. F. inflammable.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “inflammable”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details